何より

Japanese

Kanji in this term
何
なに Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Etymology

Literally "more ... than anything".

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) な​により [náꜜnì yòrì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• (Tokyo) なにより [nàní yórí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [na̠ɲ̟i jo̞ɾʲi]

Noun

何(なに)より • (nani yori) 

1. best; above all; the most important; nothing better

   順調(じゅんちょう)そうで何(なに)よりです。

   Junchō sō de nani yori desu.

   I am glad to see that things are going well.

   • 1906, 伊藤左千夫, 野菊の墓‎^[1], 青空文庫:

     この日初(ひはじ)めて民子(たみこ)を女(おんな)として思(おも)ったのが、僕(ぼく)に邪念(じゃねん)の萌芽(めざし)ありし何(なに)よりの証拠(しょうこ)じゃ。

     Kono hi hajimete Tamiko o onna to shite omotta no ga, boku ni janen no mezashi arishi nani yori no shōko ja.

     That I thought of Tamiko as a woman today for the first time was proof above all else that impure thoughts had sprouted within me.

Adverb

何(なに)より • (nani yori) 

1. above all; more than anything else

   何(なに)より楽(たの)しい／何(なに)よりも楽(たの)しい

   nani yori tanoshii ／ nani yori mo tanoshii

   more fun than anything else

Usage notes

• Can be used in the form 何(なに)よりも (nani yori mo).